This impolite tone made Qin Muyang’s face turn green with anger.
If not for his status, he would have started cursing on the spot.
“You’re too arrogant, how dare you speak to Elder Qin like that!” Even Lü Yunxu, who had been silent all this time, said indignantly.
Only the man with the triangular eyes remained silent.
But the sinister look in his eyes grew heavier, and his gaze towards Li Chonglou was as if he wanted to kill him.
Li Chonglou acted as if he hadn’t heard anything and walked forward, saying, “You are all from the antique circle, you should have brought LED lights, right?”
“Lend me a light!”
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances.
LED lights were used for appraising jade, ivory, and teeth, why would porcelain need a light?
It was unheard of.
Moreover, given Li Chonglou’s attitude, even if they had one, they wouldn’t lend it.
Everyone turned cold. At this moment, Lü Yunxu took out a small LED flashlight from her bag and handed it to Li Chonglou, “I have one.”
“Thank you.”
“No need, I wanted to see you make a fool of yourself,” Lü Yunxu said with a cold smile.
Li Chonglou didn’t mind at all. He turned on the flashlight and shone it on the bowl in Lü Chenggong’s hand, examining it from top to bottom, its surface closely.
There was no change in the translucency, and the entire body of the porcelain was uniformly thick.
Exquisitely beautiful.
“Hmph, you’re not going to say this body also has a problem, are you?” Qin Muyang sneered, suppressing his anger.
“That’s right!”
Li Chonglou turned off the light and returned it to Lü Yunxu. “In Chinese traditional culture, there is a saying that heaven is high and earth is low, and heaven is pure while earth is turbid.”
“It has even been gradually integrated into the Way of the Sovereign, and since Emperor Wu of Han, it has been ingrained in the bones of the Han people.”
“The imperial family valued rites and rituals, and attached great importance to this.”
“Who was Emperor Yongle? He compiled the unparalleled masterpiece ‘Yongle Encyclopedia,’ how could he overlook this principle!”
“All the Yongle sweet white glazes are made with respect for the ritual, thin on top and thick at the bottom, with gradually weakening translucency.”
“It wasn’t until the Qing court entered the pass and abolished Han studies that it was discarded like worn-out shoes, resulting in white glazes after the Qing dynasty being uniformly bright without distinction of thickness or status.”
“This bowl imitates the style of the Qing Dynasty, but claims to be Yongle sweet white glaze, which is utterly ridiculous.”
“Not only is your eyesight poor, but you are also ignorant and know nothing of the sovereign’s way that the imperial family revered.”
“How can you talk about appraising treasures!”
In an instant, Qin Muyang’s pupils dilated, and his expression froze.
His purplish face suddenly turned pale, and his lips trembled uncontrollably.
He had been captivated by the bowl’s delicate beauty and nobility, and had forgotten this most fundamental principle.
Li Chonglou’s last four words struck him like a bolt from the blue, waking him up.
In an instant, he seemed to age ten years and slumped onto his chair.
He muttered in disbelief, “I made a mistake…”
“I actually made a mistake.”
“This old man has looked at treasures his whole life, but forgot that antiques are born from culture.”
“It’s over, it’s over!”
A ripple…
As these words came out, the entire venue erupted in an uproar.
Everyone exchanged glances, their faces filled with shock as they looked at Elder Qin.
Lü Yunxu’s beautiful eyes were complex. Her previous disdain had completely vanished, replaced by shock and admiration.
She truly did not expect that an unassuming young man could make the grand master of antiques in Qin Province willing to bow his head.
Lü Chenggong’s face was expressionless, but a closer look revealed his cheek muscles twitching.
The man with triangular eyes looked flustered, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He reached out to snatch the bowl back and leave, but was dodged by Lü Chenggong.
“Master, this old man was arrogant and ignorant, and received Master’s teachings. I am immensely grateful!” Qin Muyang still had integrity and did not shamelessly deny it.
After a moment of self-reflection, he suddenly stood up and bowed to Li Chonglou, “May I ask Master’s name.”
This…
Everyone’s expression changed. Elder Qin was actually bowing with the posture of a disciple, his humility reaching such a low point.
Thinking of the sarcastic words they had spoken to Li Chonglou earlier, everyone blushed and wished they could find a hole to crawl into.
“My surname is Li. Gratitude is not necessary. You lost fair and square, don’t forget the three hundred thousand.” Li Chonglou said indifferently, his expression unchanged.
He had seen too many so-called masters who only cared about the value of antiques, but forgot to delve into the cultural roots that gave them their value.
Qin Muyang was certainly not the only one.
This was a common problem in the antique circle for decades, and it only began to change with the later revival of Chinese studies.
“I would not dare to forget.” Qin Muyang took out his phone and transferred the money on the spot.
Then, he bowed to Lü Chenggong from a distance, “Mr. Lü, this old man has failed your trust and has no face to see you. I will now withdraw from the Qin Province antique circle. Goodbye!”
After speaking, before Lü Chenggong could stop him, he stumbled out of the private room.
“The circle in Qin Province is probably going to be turned upside down,” someone sighed.
Looking at Li Chonglou’s eyes now, they were completely different.
How many people in Qin Province could make Elder Qin bow down to them?
After today, this young man named Li would likely become a legend in the entire circle.
“Master Li, I was blind earlier and offended Master. Please be magnanimous and do not hold it against me.”
“Why wait for another day? Let’s have a meal together to apologize to Master Li!”
…
The few people who had spoken earlier regretted it immensely, showing fawning solicitations.
“If it weren’t for Master Li today, I would have suffered significant losses. Please honor me with your presence so I can express my gratitude,” Lü Chenggong said gratefully as he stood up.
“No time, I have other matters.” Li Chonglou flatly refused and turned to leave.
The money had been received. The most important thing now was to return to the hospital and arrange his mother’s surgery.
He had no interest in these superficial people.
Even Lü Chenggong, the richest man in Qin Province, had never been in his eyes.
Seeing this, a hint of sinister malice flashed in Lü Chenggong’s eyes.
“Master, wait for me.” Lü Yunxu stunned for a few seconds, then hurried to catch up.
Everyone looked bored, knowing the feast could no longer continue, and they all took their leave.
In the private room, only Lü Chenggong, his bodyguard, and the man with the triangular eyes remained.
The man with triangular eyes had a sallow complexion, as if he had lost his parents.
He had thought that his team’s high-tech imitation sweet white glaze could fool the eyes of ninety percent of so-called masters, but he had miscalculated and was exposed by Li Chonglou on the spot.
Now, he didn’t know whether to stay or leave.
What would be the consequences of deceiving the richest man in Qin Province?
Angering Lü Chenggong could easily land him in prison for a long time.
“Lu… Mr. Lü… I was also deceived. Please be magnanimous and let me go, how about it?” The man with triangular eyes pleaded with a forced smile.
“Hmph.”
Lü Chenggong’s face was gloomy, and he snorted coldly, “You have quite the nerve to set a trap to harm me.”
“I’ll give you two options.”
“Either I send you to jail, with a minimum of fifteen years.”
“Or I’ll take this batch of imitation sweet white glaze for fifty thousand.”
“Choose yourself!”
“Mr. Lü, this…” Upon hearing this, the triangular-eyed man’s expression instantly solidified, filled with shock and incomprehension.
Lü Chenggong, knowing it was an imitation, still wanted to buy it?
What did this mean?
“What, you want to go to jail?” Lü Chenggong’s words carried a threat.
“No, no, no…” The triangular-eyed man, as if granted amnesty, quickly shook his head, “I’ll sell, I’ll sell!”
Fifty thousand still yielded a tenfold profit. Not only would he not go to jail, but he would also make money. Who wouldn’t want this deal?
“Have your people send the goods over,” Lü Chenggong said, greediness flashing in his eyes.
As a businessman, he pursued profit. With this batch of sweet white glaze that even Qin Muyang couldn’t recognize, next week’s charity auction would be the best opportunity for him to resolve his company’s current difficulties.
He was a businessman, not a player.
What did it matter if it was real or fake!